Combined suction cleaning and floor polishing apparatus



Nov. 2, 1954 ca. T. FILLERY ET AL COMBINED SUCTION CLEANING AND FLOOR POLISHING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1950 Attorneys 1954 e. T. FILLERY ET A1. 2,693,002

COMBINED SUCTION CLEANING AND FLOOR POLISHING APPARATUS By a (M r6 Attorneys.

ARATUS Nov. 2, 1954 T. FILLERY ETAL COMBINED SUCTION CLEANING AND FLOOR POLISHING APP 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 28 1950 Inventors Gerri-q. Hula-4 Faxfusok Attorneys.

Unite States Patent COMBTNED SUCTIGN CLEANING AND FLOOR PGLEHWG APPARATUS Gordon Thomas Filler-y, .lohannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa, and Edward Patterson, North Hillingdon, England; said Patterson assignor to said Fillery Application September 23, 1950, Serial No. 187,248

Claims priority, application Great Britain November 4, 1949 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-328) This invention relates to combined suction-cleaning apparatus of the kind compnsing a casing formed integral with or carrying a suction nozzle,

a rotary floor polishing element or elements carried by the casing for retraction from the on-the-fioor or operative position into the casing, and an electric motor carried by the casing which drives the polishing element or elements.

In apparatus according to the invention, the polishmg element, when in the on-the-floor or operative position, supports the nozzle in the oif-the-floor position, and means are provided whereby retraction of the polishing element renders inoperative the drive thereto and lowers the body portion and nozzle towards floor level.

It will be understood that the floor and olf-the-floor as herein tion with the nozzle refer respectively to the operative and inoperative positions'of the nozzle which, in the on-the-fioor position may either be in actual contact with the floor surface or may be slightly raised therefrom.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but one embodiment is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows the apparatus in side part of the casing cut away and the in the retracted position,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 of the rear portion of the apparatus, but on a larger scale and with the polishing brushes in their on-the-tloor position,

Figure 4 shows the retracting mechanism in section on the line IVIV of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a section on the line VV of Figure 3, and v Figure 6 shows the complete apparatus in perspective.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the apparatus comprises a body portion or hood A of metal which constitutes the casing of the apparatus as a whole. Formed integrally with an internal wall C Within the casing A are the walls C of a nozzle duct B containing a rotary agitator B and furnished with a curved cover plate B The duct B is in open communication with a casing C for a fan C driven by the spindle D of an electric motor D mounted in the upper part of the casing A. The spindle D extends through the eye of the fan in the wall C polishing brushes is provided with having a coupling C for cooperation with a coupling E at the lower end of the dust bag E. The spindle D carries a pulley D which is coupled by an elastic belt D to the agitator B The spindle D is thus disposed vertically so as to intersect the fore-and-aft axis XX of the casing A, the spindle carrying a boss D covered with material having a high coefiicient of friction, such for example as hard rubber. The forward end A of the casing A may be provided with a recess or cowl A for a head-light A That end of the casing A remote from the nozzle B and hereinafter referred to, for convenience only, as the rear end A of the casing, is provided with a single central floor contacting wheel F, two similar supporting wheels P P being provided w'thin the casing A and on the cover plate B The fan casing C a delivery conduit C elevation with v 2,693,002 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 opposite sides thereof immediately abaft the opening B of the nozzle B. Thus, when the there floor-contacting wheels F, F F are in the on-the-floor position (Figure 1), the whole weight of the apparatus is supported thereby and the is in the on floor position nice two channels G being, however, inclined downwardly, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, at an angle of, say 45 to the said fore-and-aft longitudinal axis X-X. Mounted to pivot on a pin H journalled in bosses H carried by the side plates G is a bell-crank lever the first arm H of which extends on the rear wall A of the casing A and is notched, slotted or forked at H to cooperate with a latch J loaded by a spring I and pivotally mounted at J on a fork J constituting part of a cross piece G interconnecting the side plates The first arm H of the bell-crank lever is connected through a biassing spring H to a fixed anchorage pin H interconnecting the side plates G The other or second arm H of the bell-crank lever extends through a slot K in a slide member K, the arm H being bifurcated to engage a pin K extending across the slot K in the slide member K. The slide member K is formed integrally with a carrier L for two L L The opposite longitudinal margins of the slide paratus.

The carrier L is in the form of an elongated metallic bar or bridge-piece, with the inclined slide member K formed integral therewith and the said common axis W- W of the slide member K and guide. G, G transverse to the length of the bar at a part approximately midway in the length of the bar. Equidistant from the common axis each of which comprises an upper cup-like part cooperating with the rubber-covered driving boss D on the driving spindle D wall of this recess provided with a slot at H through guides G, the arm H of the bell-crank lever and the latch I project. When the apparatus is to be used solely as a suction cleaner the spring-loaded latch I, which lies accessible in the recess M, is manually tripped and the bell-crank lever H H is turned into in Figure 1 to weight of the apparatus. of the lever passes beyond a dead-center position, continued movement of the lever in the is efiected by the biassing spring He until the carrier L and brushes L L reach position wherein they are filter bag E. The load on the motor D is now represented only by the drive to the fan C and to the agitator B It now it is desired to use the apparatus as a floor polisher, the first arm H of the bell-crank lever, lying accessible in the recess M at the rear end of the casing A, is manually turned upwards against the action of the loading spring H so that the slide member K, and therefore the carrier L and brushes L L are moved downwards towards the floor ZZ. This downward movement of the brushes may be facilitated by the operator wholly or partially taking the weight of the apparatus while turning the bell-crank lever H H As the first arm H of the bell-crank lever passes beyond the dead-center referred to above, continued movement of the lever in the same direction will be assisted by the biassing spring H By reason of the inclined central guide G, G, as the carrier L moves downwards the driving rims L of the brushes also move towards the driving boss D on the spindle D. As the brushes L, L reach their on-the-floor position (Figure 3), the drivi'ng rims L of the brushes engage the driving boss D on the spindle D and the spring-loaded latch J snaps over the notched or forked end H of the bell-crank lever H H The latch I thus holds the brushes L L in their on-the-floor position, with the casing A, nozzle B and floor Wheels F, F, F raised from floor level ZZ.

Reconversion of the apparatus for suction cleaning purposes merely requires tripping of the latch I whereupon the upward force on the brushes L L will effect initial retraction of the brushes and carrier L until the bell-crank lever passes the dead-center whereupon the retraction will be completed with the assistance of the biassing spring H acting through the bell-crank lever H H on the slide member K.

It will be apparent that by centrally guiding the carrier L in accordance with the invention, risk of jamming due to tilting or canting of the carrier and brushes will be reduced to a minimum whilst operation and latching of the carrier and brushescan be effected centrally. Further, with the rotary polishing elements driven simultaneously by a central driving member or spindle, the drive will be substantially equally distributed to the two polishing elements due to the central guide, and to the forces of retraction and restoration of the carrier and polishing elements being approximately in alignment with the axis of rotation of the driving spin- If desired, the slide member may be carried by the body portion of the apparatus whilst the nel members are formed integral with or mounted on the carrier. Further, by connecting the handle N of guide or chan- 6 center position.

the apparatus through a hoop or fork N to pivots IN on opposite sides of the casing A, the apparatus can be propelled with either the floor polishing elements or the nozzle leading. The boss D on the driving spindle D instead of being right-cylindrical as shown, may be in the form of a truncated cone, with or without similar inclination of the driving rims L on the polishing elements.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Combined suction cleaning and floor polishing apparatus comprising a casing, a motor carried by said casing, a driving spindle driven by said motor, suction means driven by said motor, fixed guide means carried by said casing and inclined both to the floor and to the axis of'said driving spindle, a floor polishing assembly comprising a carrier element slidably mounted on said guide means anda floor polishing element rotatably mounted on said carrier and having an exterior driving rim, and means for moving said carrier along said guide means and retaining it in position thereon at both ends of its movement, said guide means being so positioned relative to said spindle and to the floor that movement of said polishing assembly into a position at the lower end of said guide means brings said driving rim into frictional driving contact with said spindle and said floor polishing element into working contact with the floor, in which position said polishing assembly supports said casing and suction means away from the floor, whereas upward movement of said polishing assembly slides it angular-1y away from the driving spindle and fioor and thereby permits the casingand suction means to si to an operative position with respect to said floor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the carrier moving and retaining means includes means for positively locking said polishing assembly in floor engaging position.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said carrier element carries a second floor polishing element, said floor polishing elements being rotatable about vertical axes lying on opposite sides of and equidistant from said spindle;

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the carrier Il'lOVlIlg and retaining means comprises a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on said casing, means connecting said bell crank lever to said carrier so that swinging of said lever in one direction past a dead center position urges said polishing assembly towards the floor, whereas movement of said lever in the opposite direction urges said polishing assembly away from the floor, and a spring connected to said casing and to said lever which acts to yieldably retain saidlever on either side References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,688,580 Gernandt Oct. 23, 1928 2,203,537 Martinet June 4, 1940 2,348,861 Smellie May 16, 1944 2,558,864 Malchus July 3, 1951 of its dead 

